


We Will Rise

by Jaidan Mosra (Myriai)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Back to Jakku, Find that Kyber!, Force Bond (Star Wars), Happily Ever After, Implied Master/Padawan Relationship(s), Multi, Original Character(s), Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Sacred Villages of Jakku, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, X’us’R’iia (The Breath of God)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 15:35:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21913648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myriai/pseuds/Jaidan%20Mosra
Summary: “Go back to where it all began, Rey.  He will meet you there some day.”The words are imparted to Rey by Leia's Force Ghost on Exegol in the aftermath of the battle that ultimately cost Rey her other half are wreathed in mysteries and Rey struggles to figure out what exactly the General meant.  Before she can figure everything out she must return to the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss and make sure the others survived even though she knows she would know if they didn't through the Force.Leia's message continues to roll through her head as Rey sets out to complete her training and to see if she can find a place for herself now that her entire world has been torn apart.  The only thing keeping her sane as she works her way through the labyrinth of completing her training with no one left alive to help her is the tiniest thread that remains of her bond to Ben Solo that connects to -something- she needs to search out.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15





	1. The Message

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, I'm joining the fix-it revolution. Though it's definitely a bit more of a slow-burn plot wise--in my head there's actually a rather large chunk of time that passes between the celebration at the end of the movie and Rey's ultimate arrival on Tatooine--she had to figure out how to make the lightsaber that she brandishes at the end somehow and there's a few other things to deal with, but one thing I can guarantee--it will end happily.
> 
> My story picks up in the throne room of the Emperor after he's flung Ben down the shaft "as a Skywalker once did to him". First chapter covers up until the celebration on Ajan Kloss and from there Rey goes on a winding journey to figure out just what the hell Leia means by "The place where it all began". 
> 
> Be patient with me as I learn to make my way through this post-apocalyptic fandom that TRoS left me in.

**Chapter One: The Message**

_Rise._

The word whispered through Rey’s mind as she tried to grasp what exactly was happening.

_Rise._

It was a different voice but the same message behind it.

_Rise._

Rey reached out through the bond now so infinitesimal, but she could feel him there. If he got up and out of the pit, her _grandfather_ (she gave the word a mocking twist in her head) would kill him.

She would not let it happen.

Not now.

Not ever.

Palpatine would _NOT_ win.

That was her family up there. That was her beloved starting to find places to grip on the pit the Emperor tossed him down. She would not stay down.

Slowly she dragged herself to her feet and summoned one of the lightsabers to her hand and ignited it, the blue light bathing her face the same way the lightning illuminated the emperor’s face when he was exerting his influence on the ships she could see overhead. 

“You have no chance. I am ALL the Sith!” the Emperor snarled.

“And I am ALL the Jedi!” she snarled

Rey knew she was traipsing a fine line, but she could feel the strength of those who’d gone before gathering around her, she could feel her strength increasing as the Force pulled her deeper in. Warmth filled her and every moment that passed she could feel Ben getting closer. She just had to hold on just a little bit longer then he would be there. They could take this on together. 

And they would win.

She felt rather than heard his hand slip and the sickening crack as he broke something. Her eyes moved back to the Emperor—he would overwhelm her soon. Gritting her teeth she reached out and summoned the second lightsaber to her hands. She knew this would be the end of her, but she also knew that Ben could still live—she could feel him gathering himself to start the climb again.

Ben would live.

Rey would see to it. 

She gathered all her strength, the power flowing from the Jedi of the past, and then she tapped into what was left of her own life essence and set the power free watching the Emperor disintegrate before her eyes. When the light faded there was no Emperor standing before her and she felt ice slide through her body as the lightsabers dropped and then it was dark.

But Ben lived.

That was all that mattered.

~ * ~

NO!

The words echoed soundlessly from Ben’s lips and he dug his hand into the rock face and hauled himself up. He could feel Rey fading and he forced himself to move faster. Finally he found the top of the shaft and he hauled himself up over the edge. He tried to stand, but his broken leg gave out underneath him, but he could see her. He pushed himself back to his feet and moved a few steps before collapsing again.

If he could not walk to her, he would crawl.

Finally he reached her side and he could hear the whispered remnants of the power Rey wielded, but it was fading fast. He looked around desperate to find some sort of help, but there was nothing left except Rey, her white clothing dirtied and torn. Pulling her into his arms he held her icy body against his own desperately trying to share his warmth with her, to let her know that he was there, but his sense of her through their bond was also fading.

_No. Please. Rey._

The words whispered desperately through his mind he could not get his trembling lips to form them. There had to be something, _anything_ he could do and he closed his eyes and set his hand on her midsection. If only one of them was going to make it out of this, he was going to make sure it was Rey. He reached deep into himself and found the remnants of life left by Palpatine’s attack and then found the bond and slowly began to feed it through it. He felt his own life fading with every moment, but it did not matter only Rey mattered.

When she finally drew breath and her hand wrapped around his, Ben exulted and they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Joy like nothing else he’d ever felt swelled inside of him and then exploded as Rey moved in and their lips crashed together in a warm, almost desperate kiss. When they finally separated, he felt the unfamiliar stretch of his muscles into a broad smile and for an instant all was right in his life at last.

Then the cold hit and the last thing he saw was Rey’s horrified look as he fell backwards onto the floor of the Emperor’s throne room.

~ * ~

“No! Come back!”

The words burst from Rey before she could stop them and she collapsed on top of his clothing, sobs wracking her body as her hands clutched uselessly in the heap of black material. There was a warm breath of wind and Rey’s head snapped up and she saw Leia standing before her dressed in white glowing blue. “Go back to where it all began, Rey. He will meet you there some day,” Leia told her.

“But, Ben…”

“He gave his remaining life so that you could go. He wouldn’t be happy if you curled up here and froze to death,” Leia frowned. “Trust the Force.”

“No one is ever _really_ gone.”

The words materialized before Luke did and Rey slowly straightened. She gathered Ben’s clothing, clutching it tightly to her chest and regarded the Skywalker siblings with tear-drenched hazel eyes. “Go back to where it began?” Rey repeated softly.

“You’ll know the way,” Leia smiled gently. “Luke and I will greet you there when you arrive. Now go. Your family is waiting for you.”

The siblings faded and Rey gathered their lightsabers and wrapped them in Ben’s clothing for the time being before she hauled herself up and managed to stumble her way back through the shaking palace of Exogol and to the landing pad where Red 5 waited. She still couldn’t believe that the ancient X-Wing could fly—she’d assessed it when she arrived on Ahch-To and thought it to be unsalvageable. But she let the thought go and she felt a tremor through the Force and frowned.

“Finn?”

Her friend’s name rolled off her tongue and her eyes flew in the direction of the fleet. She drew in a deep breath and collected herself and climbed into the X-Wing. “Let’s go home,” she said softly to herself and pulled the helmet on.

She activated all the switches and reached out once more to find the torn end of the bond and there was a whisper. Her eyes went wide and she touched it again—there was still the tiniest thread connecting to _something_.

_Go back to where it started._

Rey frowned again at Leia’s message as she ran through the checks and then lifted off the ground just as everything began to fold underneath it. When she broke out of Exogol’s atmosphere the message light on her communications terminal blinked and she activated it. “All surviving units rendezvous on Ajan Kloss. Repeat. All surviving units rendezvous at Ajan Kloss.”

She programmed the coordinates into the nav computer and steeled herself to make the journey back out of Exogol’s system.

She blanked her mind to make the journey back and then when she broke out into the more familiar space she paused for a long moment. They probably would not understand her despair, so until she could find a way to explain to them what transpired in the throne room of the Emperor, she had to hold her grief inside, but first she would cry.

And so she did.

By the time she burst into the air over Ajan Kloss, she’d composed herself and scrubbed away all evidence of her tears. She would undoubtedly cry more later, but for now she needed to hold them back. Settling the X-Wing into place, the first person she saw as she made her way through the celebrations was Finn who raced up to her and pulled her into a massive hug followed by Poe joining them as BB-8 chirped his approval next to them. Somehow or another she managed to summon a smile and to mingle with the remains of the fighters. She saw many familiar faces, but there were also many missing who were left behind on the chaotic tides of Exogol.

As night fell, she finally felt herself breaking and endeavored to slip away from the celebrations to find some place quiet to release another round of grief. For Leia. For those who were lost. 

But most of all for Ben.

But she was not left alone for long.

There was a crack of a twig breaking and her head shot up as she hurriedly tried to scrub away the tears before turning to greet the person. She knew it would be Finn before her friend’s dark-skinned face caught the light of the moon overhead.

“Rey. I need to talk to you.”

Rey drew in a trembling breath. “Now is not a good time, Finn. Please, can we do this later?”

“No, we can’t,” Finn said. “I need to tell you something.”

“Please Finn?” she whispered. “Just—”

Her words were cut off as Finn plopped down on the tree trunk beside her. He drew her into a tight hug and whispered. “You can cry Rey.”

“No…you…” Rey began.

“Rey, please?” Finn said.

Wrapped in her friend’s warm hug, Rey let herself fold over in grief and cried long and hard, her hand clenching in the jacket Finn wore.

She didn’t know how much time passed, but she finally ran out of tears and drew in a shaky breath, pulling back. “Finn…I…thank you,” she finally choked out.

He touched her hair lightly and drew back. “I have the Force Rey,” he announced.

Rey blinked and drew back and looked up at him in confusion. “You have the Force?” she repeated.

“I felt you die back there Rey, and I felt you come back,” Finn said. “How did you come back?”

Rey bit her lip and turned away as tears welled up in her eyes showing that no, no her tears were not done yet.

“Rey. What happened down there?”

“It’s a long story, Finn, I don’t have the ability to get through it now,” Rey said. “I need time. Please?”

He sighed in exasperation and then hugged her. “I’m here for you,” he said quietly.

They separated and settled on the ground their backs to the log and stared up at the sky. “What do you think is going to happen now?” Finn wondered. “The First Order is gone…or so we can hope. There’s nothing left of the New Republic. What do we do?”

Rey stared numbly at the stars.

“Right now, Finn,” she paused weighing her next words. “I don’t care.”


	2. Back to Where it Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey decides to start searching for "The place where it all began..." and has to say good-bye to a couple of Resistance Generals and a certain orange and white astromech decides he needs to accompany her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had intended to do a step per chapter, but I think this is gonna stretch a bit longer than I was originally thinking--I'm starting to get even more ideas beyond given Rey & Ben the ending they deserved.

“Back to Jakku?”

Finn’s voice cracked and Rey couldn’t help the small smile that slipped at the sound—she remembered the first time he said that just before they were caught in a tractor beam that put them on a transport of rathtars and changed her life forever.

“Why does everyone want to go back to Jakku?” Finn asked in a bewildered voice drawing a genuine laugh from Rey.

“Because it’s where it all began,” Rey replied finally.

She hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell Finn and Poe the whole story yet. She did tell them about the Emperor, the Sith, and how it was all blown away. She did tell them that Kylo Ren was dead. She didn’t tell them about Leia’s words to her in the throne room or what felt like the quest the Skywalker twins put in front of her. She didn’t tell them that it was Ben Solo who gave his life to bring her back.

Rey blinked back her tears and focused on loading the next box of supplies onto the _Falcon._

It had been exactly three weeks, four days, and eighteen hours since everything in her life was perfect for a moment before it was shattered. She took a deep, trembling breath.

She didn’t remember much of the time that passed. She occupied her days working on ships and her nights trying to teach the former storm trooper how to reach out and touch the Force. So far Finn wasn’t successful, but every night until one or the other decided to tumble into their blankets in exhaustion they tried. The words her Masters used to teach her didn’t seem to ring as true for Finn and everything she tried from the old Jedi books hadn’t brought any breakthroughs.

Aside from the Force lessons, little seemed to change except for the fact they now knew that there wouldn’t be an armada of planet crushing Star Destroyers coming out of Exogol. They knew that the Sith Empire once thought to be only a legend was now truly gone before it could rush a black tide over a galaxy that was already struggling to find peace. 

What hadn’t changed is that the Resistance and the First Order were still at war. There wasn’t a day that didn’t pass where word of another conflict didn’t come to the ears of the current Resistance leaders. There wasn’t a morning where Rey wasn’t helping load up another set of transports and ships to send out or to welcome back and resupply a returning group. She did know that the Resistance was slowly gaining ground, but she also knew that this wasn’t her place—not right now. Not when she couldn’t drag herself out of the chasm she was in and in good faith speak words of encouragement and hope.

“Will you come back here?” Finn asked as he stepped in to help her load up another box.

Rey’s hands clenched around the edges of the next box, “Eventually,” she finally responded. “There’s something out there I have to do. Something out there I have to _find_.”

“I wish I could go with you,” Finn muttered.

Rey chuckled softly. “Poe needs you here General,” she said. “It’s important that you stay here.”

“Did the Force tell you that?” Finn asked.

Rey placed the crate in the ship while she turned over the question in her head. “Yes,” she finally said, “yes it did.”

He sighed. “When you come back I’m going to lift the rocks from around you,” he declared soberly.

“When I come back, I’ll have lifted the rocks myself,” Rey stated, “but, thank you.”

Finn helped her put the last bit in the ship. “Are you going to leave tonight or in the morning?”

“I’m not—”

There were a series of angry sounding beeps and chirps and a blur of orange and white slammed into Rey’s legs nearly tripping her. “Beebee-Ate, what was that for?” she demanded indignantly.

There was an explosion of sound and Rey had a hard time filtering through it all and then frowned as she got the gist of what the little astromech was saying. “What do you mean you’re coming with me? You can’t, you have to stay here. Poe…”

“Thinks that he should go with you,” Poe Dameron declared stepping into the landing area.

He gave Rey and Finn both a charming smile and Rey swore she saw Finn glance away for a moment before turning his attention back to the older man. “We need Artoo here because he’s got a lot of information stored up in that memory of his we may need. I think he’s only let us scratch the surface of everything he knows and Threepio is rather adamant he doesn’t want to go on anymore ‘crazy adventures’—ever. The stories of Kijimi are enough to scare him. I…probably won’t be flying for a while and Beebee-Ate can interface and help you with the _Falcon_ since Chewie is off with Maz right now.”

Rey looked down at BB-8 then up at Poe and she could sense how hard it was for him to let his beloved droid accompany her and she smiled sadly. She knelt down in front of BB-8 and smoothed his antenna. “I suppose you’re going to insist?” she asked him.

There was an affirmative beep and Rey considered it for a moment. Perhaps this too was also right?

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll take Beebee-Ate with me.”

“Report in every now and then would you?” Poe said. “We’d like to know you’re still alive and kicking or someone might decide that jumping into an X-Wing to hunt you down is a good idea.”

Rey smiled and embraced both of the men warmly. “I promise I’ll report in when I make a new planet fall if I can,” she said. “We can’t have the Generals vanishing with no warning.”

Finn and Poe both seemed to relax and Rey glanced down at BB-8. “Are you ready to go?” she asked and received an affirmative sound.

“You’re leaving _now_?” Finn demanded.

“It’s time,” Rey said quietly. “Rose has the supply lines under perfect control and I think I get in her way more than I help some days.”

“Stay safe and don’t forget to call home,” Poe said, placing a gentle hand on Finn’s shoulder. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble.”

She smiled and embraced each of them one last time before climbing up the boarding ramp. “Don’t do anything stupid,” Rey told them firmly. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to get back in time to save you.”

“May the Force be with you, always,” Finn said.

Rey nodded. “May the Force be with you.”

She took the final steps up the boarding ramp and BB-8 raced up passed her as if he thought she was somehow going to try and leave without him. She met the eyes of her friends through the door of the _Falcon _and recalled another time when she’d met a pair of eyes and then hit the button to slam the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and we're going back to Jakku.
> 
> Watch out for the sandstorms.


	3. Breath of God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is my territory, get out!” 
> 
> Rey blinked. The girl’s skin was dark tan with an orangish undertone and two lekku trailed over her shoulders. Despite the delicateness of her appearance the girl managed to hold the weapon steady glaring at Rey fiercely over the barrel. Suddenly the girl’s face transformed and awe took place of the fierceness.
> 
> “You’re Rey!”
> 
> “I am. And you are?” Rey frowned.
> 
> “Ahna,” the girl said. “You saved my life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a note the term X’us’R’iia comes from Rey's Survival Guide, it's a name the Teedos call the massive storms on Jakku also known as "The breath of god".
> 
> I'm not sure if I should say sorry or not, I know I didn't warn about OCs, but I can't just leave Rey alone even if she's hunting for a way to find the love of her life and I have some -ideas- about where this is going to go. I have freely lifted information from both "Rey's Survival Guide" (from the Journey to TFA media) and a little bit from "The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary" for this and there will also be references pulled from other sources including Wookiepedia and "Ultimate Star Wars New Addition".
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it and, yes, let me reiterate this will end HEA...it's just a journey to get there because Rey still has a lot to figure out.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

** The Breath of God **

The proximity alarm pulled Rey out of her meditation and she rose from the hard pallet she’d set up for herself in the galley of the _Millennium Falcon_. She couldn’t bring herself to go back into the living quarters of the Corellian YT-1300 quite yet. BB-8 whistled softly and Rey nodded. “Thank you Beebee-Ate,” she said and moved toward the cockpit. 

They dropped out of hyperspace a short time later and Rey paused to take a look at the planet that served as her home for over fourteen years. She easily located Niima Outpost and triangulated where her home would stand if it was still there and not swallowed by the sands. BB-8 made an inquiry and Rey shook her head. “No, we’re not going to land at Niima Outpost. It’s too dangerous, but I do know of a place where we can land for now.”

She directed the _Falcon_ towards the Goazon Badlands where she’d made a home of an AT-AT Walker for years. She navigated the desert carefully hoping to get in under any of Unkar’s thugs (if Unkar was still around, she never found out what happened after Takodana) sensors. Though she knew that it was likely the shelter had been claimed by another scavenger since she left over a year ago, something whispered in her ear that she needed to go there. Rey knew she wouldn’t have long before anyone who happened to catch a brief sight of her ship would come investigate.

After running scans to make sure the land was still as solid as she remembered, Rey settled the _Millennium Falcon_ on the ground. She gave orders to BB-8 and discourage any scavengers that happened to get close before she could return. BB-8 gave her a rather succinct piece of his mind and Rey scowled at the orange and white droid. “I’m not going to be gone that long Beebee-Ate,” Rey said. “I just want to pick up a couple things if they’re still there.”

It took some convincing, but she finally got him to stay behind though she still felt like he was sulking as he rolled back to the cockpit and the door shut behind him. She smiled wryly, but shouldered her haversack and retraced the familiar path back to the buried AT-AT Walker. Though it wouldn’t be that far, Rey knew better than to go into the Jakku desert without supplies especially if she found her old home occupied and needed to risk the night trek back. Confidently, she walked the familiar path, keeping her eyes and ears open in case of trouble. 

As she drew in closer to the refuge she noted signs of occupation and she paused for a moment then her gaze snapped to the left. Rey whirled bringing her staff to bear as a girl seemed to rise from nowhere with an overly large blaster held in her small hands. “This is my territory, get out!”

Rey blinked. The girl’s skin was dark tan with an orangish undertone and two lekku trailed over her shoulders. Despite the delicateness of her appearance the girl managed to hold the weapon steady glaring at Rey fiercely over the barrel. Suddenly the girl’s face transformed and awe took place of the fierceness.

“You’re Rey!”

“I am. And you are?” Rey frowned.

“Ahna,” the girl said. “You saved my life.”

Rey sifted through her memory trying to remember helping anyone that looked even remotely like the girl in front of her. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember…” Rey said slowly.

The girl shook her head. “Not in person. The notes you left saved me,” Ahna said. “Why are you here?”

“I’m looking for something,” Rey said guardedly.

“From your old stuff?” Ahna asked.

“Possibly,” Rey acknowledged.

A sad look passed over the girl’s face. “I don’t think there’s actually much left. We were the second or third occupants of the AT-AT, but come. You can look if you’d like.”

“It is unwise to trust so easily,” Rey frowned.

“I don’t usually, but you’re Rey,” Ahna said. “You saved me.”

The wind picked up and Rey felt a familiar change in the air and looked around even as Ahna did the same. To the west Rey saw the familiar wall of sand roaring towards them. “We need to get out of here,” the Jedi said tensely mentally calculating how long it would take for the _X’us’R’iia_ to get there.

“It’s too far back to your ship,” Ahna said. “Come with me. I’ve got some supplies stored up that I can share. Maybe it won’t be a long one?”

“Four days,” Rey stated flatly. “It will last four days.”

Ahna gave her an odd look and then nodded. “This way.”

Rey hesitated for a moment longer and then started tasting the grit in the air. “All right,” she agreed reluctantly.

She let Ahna lead the way in case the approach to the AT-AT changed in the past year. The Togruta, Rey’s memory finally supplied the name of the girl’s race, was almost skipping and Rey could feel excitement humming in the air coming directly from Ahna. As they reached the entrance, Rey heard a hollow, almost musical clanging ahead as the wind picked up and she realized that someone had added a form of windchimes to the front door. “Do you like them?” Ahna asked as Rey paused to look at them.

“What are they made of?” Rey asked curiously.

“I found some old stormtrooper armor in an AT-ST walker that one of the storms unburied. After I took the bones out and cleaned them, I sold a lot of it to Unkar, but some of the pieces weren’t worth trading and I got bored,” Ahna said.

“Unkar is still around?” Rey asked—she wasn’t sure if she was disappointed in the revelation or not.

“He doesn’t come out of the outpost at all anymore. Someone says a Wookie ripped his arm off and he hasn’t found a mechanical one to his liking yet to replace it,” Ahna said and pushed the door open. 

Once they were inside, Ahna locked the door behind them and gestured at the table in the middle of the floor. “Make yourself as comfortable as possible please? I’ll be right back. I’ll grab the box of stuff I packed up when we moved in. I’m not sure if it’s all yours, but maybe something you’re looking for will be in it.”

Rey nodded and Ahna headed off for another part of the room. Curiously Rey looked around the AT-AT to see how the new owner changed it. She saw clothing that looked far too big for Ahna folded neatly on top of one of the shelves along with a display of various plants that weren’t native to Jakku alongside of the familiar spine barrel blooms and nightblossoms though these had grown larger than Rey ever managed to. There were other signs in the room, but Rey could only feel the echoes of Ahna’s presence. Her eyes moved over to the wall of marks on the wall and she moved towards them lightly touching each mark she’d diligently carved into the metal while she lived here.

“Here it is,” Ahna announced and came out of one of the rooms that Rey hadn’t hollowed out for her use when she was there.

Ahna set the dented box on the makeshift table and looked at the wall. “I started my own wall of markings,” Ahna announced proudly and reached out and touched Rey’s arm directing her to look at one of the other walls, “every day I live to make sure I can make one more mark on the wall like you did.”

Rey followed her gesture and skimmed the wall counting the marks silently—189, just over half a standard year. “Where are your parents?” Rey asked the question slipping before she could stop it.

Ahna’s gaze moved to the pile of clothing. “Gone,” she finally said. “Mom and Dad went out to scavenge one day and never came back. They’re dead.”

“How can you be sure?” Rey questioned her.

Ahna cocked her head. “Because I felt them die,” she said. “Are you hungry? I have some rations from the last time I went into Niima Outpost.”

The girls’ voice was matter-of-fact and she made to move to one of the cabinets.

Rey caught her arm. “How about I share some of mine with you?” she suggested. “They’ll taste better than what the Blobfish has.”

“It’s my house, I won’t take food from a guest,” Ahna said.

There was a stubbornness that Rey knew all too well and she couldn’t help the slight smile that curved her lips. “Very well, I gratefully accept your hospitality.”

Ahna beamed at her and Rey settled on the ground in front of the table and opened the proffered box. Her eyes ran over the papers piled neatly on the top. “Oh!” she gasped softly and reached out and picked up one of the scraps recognizing her own writing on the page.

Picking up the sheaf of papers, Rey skimmed over the ones on top and recognized the original scraps she ended up inscribing in a worn book that still resided in her haversack. As she flipped through them, she came across some towards the bottom of the pile that were not in her writing. The first few pages were written in beautiful curving letters detailing various findings about the plants on Jakku beneath those there were newer looking pages written in a blockier format. “Mom figured if she was going to be stuck on Jakku, she’d find a way to bring some beauty to things,” Ahna said and set a plate of familiar rations down in front of Rey. “I’ve been adding some stuff lately that I’m running across as well as some locations I’ve found quality scavenge so I keep it in the box in the storeroom Dad cleared out.”

“So that’s how I ‘saved your life’?” Rey asked.

Ahna nodded and dug into her rations with gusto. Rey put the box aside and dug into the food placed in front of her. Tomorrow she would insist on sharing her supplies with the girl since they wouldn’t be able to leave and she didn’t want to consume Ahna’s supplies. The days-long storms were dangerous for scavengers—there was no way to collect anything while the _X’us’R’iia _raged and if they didn’t have enough stores on hand it was the line between living and dying.

They ate their meal, Ahna doing most of the talking while Rey listened—understanding more than anyone the girl’s desire to have real human conversation at least for a little while. After dinner was cleared away, Rey began to sort through the box. Most of the stuff inside didn’t belong to her, but she easily recognized the X-Wing pilot doll she’d fashioned from rags. As Ahna predicted most of the things that Rey left behind weren’t in there and Rey reluctantly acknowledged that it had been a rather futile hope she’d find something useful here.

She reached the bottom of the box and her fingertips brushed over something that appeared to be a shard of glass and a tingle rushed up her arm. She yanked her hand back and shook it trying to dispel the tingles. Ahna frowned in concern. “Are you okay Rey?” she asked.

Rey paused for a moment and then slowly reached out again and touched the item. “Do you know what this is?” she asked the girl.

Ahna plucked the crystal out of the box and held it up to catch the dim light cast from one of the lanterns that hung around the room. “Dad said it’s a shard of a kyber crystal. He found it a few days before he and Mom disappeared. He said he wanted to see if there was more and maybe find out if there were some Jedi relics.”

“Where did he find it?” Rey asked intently something was whispering on the outer edge of her consciousness. “Can I read the notes?”

“If you want, you can have them,” Ahna said. “As for where, he drew a map, but they forgot it when they left. It was just after a storm and they were in a hurry to get back before the rest of the scavengers started crawling over the sands to find what was unburied by the storm. That’s probably why they died.”

Rey accepted the girls words thoughtfully and accepted the map and the papers. “I can translate any of dad’s shorthand that you need me to,” Ahna said. “He used to go over all the Jedi lore he found with me.”

“I would appreciate it that,” Rey said with a soft smile feeling an odd kindred with the girl.

The next three days were spent cooped up in the AT-AT while the winds and sand howled outside keeping Ahna’s windchimes constantly going through the night. Ahna moved about her routine, something Rey knew all too well as the girl pulled out parts and set about cleaning them up and checking them over for sale once the storm ended. Over the time, Rey found out Ahna was thirteen, her dad had been a mechanical engineer, history being more of a hobby than a job, and her mother was a botanist. Rey shared her food with Ahna after pointing out that it wouldn’t be any good if she didn’t have any food after Rey left. 

As Rey grew more accustomed to Ahna’s presence she recognized a quiet hum in the Force around the girl that she’d only felt a few other times in her life. On the evening of the third day of the storm, if Rey hadn’t become accustomed to the hum, she probably would’ve missed it. However, for just a moment the sound intensified and she turned her head just in time to see a part lift from a bin just out of Ahna’s reach and land in the girl’s hand. 

“You can use the Force.”

The words echoed in the AT-AT and Ahna started, turning to look at Rey with a terrified look on her face. Her hand involuntarily twitched towards the weapon that was never far from her reach. Rey shook her head. “Don’t worry,” she said. “You’re not alone.”

Her voice caught on the phrase and tears pricked her eyes. Silently she held out a hand and another part lifted from the bin and drifted through air into Rey’s hand. “There’s no need to worry,” Rey said. “I can do it too.”

Rey wasn’t sure how to describe the look on Ahna’s face at the revelation, but her features slowly transitioned into something that Rey could only term ‘hope’. Ahna moved across the floor to Rey and looked at her pleadingly. “Can you show me?” Ahna asked.

Remembering her failure with Finn on Ajan Kloss, Rey sighed. “I’m not really much of a teacher…”

“Please?” Ahna whispered. “I don’t want to be stuck here forever.”

Rey suddenly saw her own life on Jakku flash through her mind and slowly considered the ramifications if she took Ahna with her. “I’ve got something I’m looking for. I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out,” Rey said. “I don’t even know if I’ll live through it.”

“I’ll follow wherever you need to go, Rey,” Ahna said earnestly. “If I die here or out there with you, I’m still going to die. I’d rather not have sand be my last meal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have been sitting on this update for close to a week and I do apologize. I got my hands on a visual dictionary and after skimming it, for a moment it halted my progress, it shattered some ideas I had for the chapter and I needed to reconfigure things in my head. The good news is I've figured this out and I even have a (rough) outline written and I'm hoping to finish it before the end of the month (if not the end of the month before the beginning of March when the novelization of The Rise of Skywalker releases). I'm doing this in the midst of the fact it's January and I work in a pharmacy so it's kinda hellish and mind-breaking which makes it a little difficult to gather the tattered remnants of my creative spirit back together to work on stuff I genuinely enjoy at the end of 8-10 hours.
> 
> One of these days, I will try my hand at a mood board, but that time is likely not now.


	4. Honor Among Scavengers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for kyber and information begins, but not without a bit of confrontation as Rey and Ahna encounter a local bounty hunter out to bring in a score, but there's a life debt to be settled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, I've moved the proper summary up into the main portion of the story since 1/19/2020 marks the end of my self-imposed spoiler ban so it gets moved to the top (this chapter was supposed to be out then too, but it took a bit longer than intended).
> 
> In other news, a new chapter for you to mark one month (roughly) from when TRoS opened in my country and I watched it. I've pulled from a few sources (one of which I didn't know existed until about 12 hours ago). 
> 
> 1) Rey's Survival Guide (it's gonna be referenced a lot for this section of the story)  
2) Wookiepedia dealing with [redacted] , a character specifically mentioned in the Survival Guide, who shows up in this chapter  
3) "Destroyer Down" a Star Wars Adventure comic I didn't know existed until I was reading the character entry in Wookiepedia

The chimes were silent.

The absence of sound was the first thing that Rey noticed when she woke up the next morning. She rubbed sleep out of her eye and massaged her temples. The previous night’s dreams after the conversation with Ahna were turbulent, filled with cold and darkness, but there was a thread in it that she could follow and for just an instant she saw a familiar broad form and thought she’d seen a hint of the smile she’d only seen once.

_I’m coming Ben. Where are you?_

Before she could get an answer she’d awakened in the icy predawn morning and everything but the memory was gone. She sat up in the blankets she’d brought with her and wrapped her arms around her knees and stared miserably into deeper shadows of the shelter. Taking a deep breath she forced herself into motion.

If the storm was over, earlier than Rey originally anticipated, then it wouldn’t take long for Unkar to send thugs to investigate the ship they likely saw enter atmosphere. She rose and began to pack her things, her eyes moving over to where Ahna was sleeping in a small padded alcove that took the place of Rey’s familiar hammock. Her hands clenched in the material of the blankets and she thought for a moment of telling Ahna she’d come back for her and then stopped that thought cold.

Was she really considering leaving Ahna to the same fate she herself suffered when she was on Jakku? Waiting forever for someone to come back who wouldn’t or couldn’t return?

No.

Straightening, Rey moved across the area and lightly touched Ahna’s shoulder. “We have to go now if we want to avoid Unkar’s thugs,” she said quietly.

Ahna awakened immediately and practically bounded out of bed, pulling the bag she’d packed the night before into her hands as she moved for the storage room and the beat-up chest she’d shown Rey the first night. Rey shook her head at the girl’s casual use of the Force, but set about picking up the last of her things. Ahna decided the night before to take the chest with them, but they were going to leave everything else, including what was left of Ahna’s rations in the AT-AT for the next occupant. On their way out the door, Ahna collected her windchime. “I like it,” she said almost defensively.

Rey chuckled and was about to say something, but was interrupted as her communications unit squealed to life with BB-8’s worried stream of beeps and whistles. “It’s okay, Beebee-Ate, I’m fine, just got caught in the sandstorm,” Rey said soothingly. “I’m coming back right now. Also, I’m bringing company.”

There was an inquiring series of beeps as Rey and Ahna began making their way towards the _Millennium Falcon_. “You’ll see when we get there.”

The trip to the freighter was surprisingly smooth until Rey abruptly picked up a signature in the Force and whipped out her staff and caught the net that arced overhead with the Force and threw it over a couple figures that emerged from the sand. “Well, well, if it isn’t Rey.”

The familiar voice sent a shiver down Rey’s back as she focused on the figure dressed in red blocking their path to the ship. Sarco had his blaster out and even though he was covered head to toe Rey could feel something like regret from him. She frowned, but didn’t let her guard down.

“Unkar said you wouldn’t be foolish enough to come back here,” Sarco said through his vocoder mask. “You should’ve stayed away.”

“What do you want Sarco Plank?” Rey asked quietly.

“Unkar wants you dead and he wants his ship back,” Sarco replied. “He promised a massive reward for the person who accomplished it; a reward massive enough that I cannot ignore it—even for a life debt. He may be willing just to get this freighter back, I could tell him you were already dead when I arrived.”

“You’re not taking my ship,” Rey said.

“Then I have no choice.”

His blaster came up to bear, but before he could squeeze the trigger, Rey used the Force and yanked it out of his unsuspecting grip. The gun went hurtling into the dunes and Sarco took a step back, his hand dipping under his long cloak and pulling out a staff that crackled to life. Ahna shoved her way in front of Rey. “It’s an electrostaff,” she said. “You can’t…”

“I can and I will,” Rey stated quietly.

“There are supplies in the AT-AT,” Ahna said looking earnestly at Sarco across the sand. “There’s also some good salvage there too. Take it all and let us go, please?”

Rey saw him hesitate and an idea formed in her head, she moved up next to Ahna and moved her hand. “The salvage and the supplies in the AT-AT will be fine,” she said quietly.

Sarco looked dazed for an instant then repeated. “The salvage and the supplies in the AT-AT will be fine.”

Rey gestured again. “You want us to get in our ship and go.”

“Get in your ship and go,” Sarco said numbly and gestured towards the _Falcon._

The two hurried towards the boarding ramp that BB-8 lowered and moved up. Rey directed Ahna towards the cockpit and then turned her attention back to Sarco whose head moved just slightly in her direction and gave a miniscule nod. Rey hit the button for the ramp and hurried to the cockpit and settled into the pilot’s seat.

“That was amazing!” Ahna said. “How did you do that?”

“I didn’t,” Rey said and gave orders to BB-8 to engage the engines and she felt the _Falcon_ shudder to life.

“What?” Ahna gaped.

“That trick only works on the weak-minded,” Rey said quietly. “He let us go.”

“Why?” Ahna asked.

“Because a long time ago I saved his life,” Rey replied. “Let’s get out of here. That debt is paid now. When we meet again, one of us may die.”

The _Millennium Falcon _lifted off the sand and roared away, Rey flying low to the ground to hopefully avoid further notice. There should be places they could find to perch while they figured out their next move. “Do you know the coordinates where your parents found the kyber?” Rey asked.

“It’ll be easier if we go to the Sacred Village near there and go by land,” Ahna said. “There’s not a good place to land the ship.”

“Would we be able to find a way to conceal the _Falcon _at the village?” Rey asked.

Ahna looked at her apologetically. “I don’t know,” she said.

“Well let’s go find out,” Rey said. “Did your map have any kind of coordinates or markers?”

“Yes,” Ahna said.

“Show it to Beebee-Ate so he can analyze it and plug the information into the computer,” Rey said.

Ahna took the map in her hand and went over and knelt in front of the orange and white astromech droid and presented the map. BB8 ran a scanner over it and translated the information into something the computer of the ship could process. After a few moments information scrolled across one of the displays and BB8 relayed it to them. “Set a course,” Rey said. “What is the name of the village?”

Ahna shook her head. “It depends on who you ask. None of the villages seem to have set names, just locations.”

“Tell me about the village,” Rey said as she began to navigate over the endless dunes of the Jakku desert.

“They’re a group of people that call themselves Whills,” Ahna said. “One of them talked to Dad for a long time, but Mom and I had to stay outside; they did give us refreshments and let us sit in the shade at least.”

“Hopefully they’ll speak to us,” Rey said.

It was nearing dusk when they finally reached the village. A slender figure with a light stick stood just outside the collected huts and when they moved there was the sound of metal hitting metal. It held up a hand to motion for them to stop then crossed the ground between them and held the light up to look at their faces.

“It took you long enough to come to us Rey of Jakku,” the figure announced.

Rey froze for a moment wondering if she should fight or run. “Neither,” the figure said. “I’m Jalmé, the sentinel of this village. The Keeper said you would be coming—three days ago.”

“I got caught in the sand storm, I apologize for the delay,” Rey finally said. “This is Ahna…”

“We know Ahna,” Jalmé said. “We are sorry for the loss of your parents. Come, it gets cold quickly and there is food.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like we'll be in Jakku for 1 to 2 more chapters, but I think the chapter count will shorten for the other locales I am planning for this until she reaches Tatooine.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This story is not beta'd and I think I've made some tense slips, but I'll fix them as I reread this every time I go to post a new chapter.
> 
> Thank you for your patience.


End file.
